Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-01-05
SILAS' FLOWERS:
And Among them He Loved Lit
tie Althea Best.

There was no room for any flower gar
den in front of the house, it stood so close
to the road. The little cottage, implanted,
save for white strips around the windows,
had an air OF pushing forward timidly.
The small, white, sharp-stecpled meeting
house stood just opposite There was a
joke prevalent in the town about Silas
Niuton's house having once started to 20
to meeting when the boil rang The three
uneven stone steps before the front door
led quite down to the narrow sidewalk,
which was scarcely more than foot path
amongst grasses and weeds. The little
strip Of green under the two windows on
each side Of the front door was closed in
neatly and trinity by n low fence of two
whitewashed rails. Silas Vinton had tried
TO start some plants in their tiny Enclosures
but it was Of no use. The drip from the
caves directly into the roots kept the earth
washed away from them. So there was
nothing but the little Lobby strip, where
the rain drops fell, through the close green
grass.
Slas had enough land at the rear of his
house to make up for the want of il at the
front. There we're two good acres stretch
ing back to the river-b bank One acre was
the flower and vegetable garden, and the
other was an apple orchard. There were
uttS, Dui lntN were scattered HDOnt
at intervals through the garden. This
morning the trees were all in blossom. and
somc early flowers in the garden, and Silas
was out there working. He had taken his
coat off, and his blue calico shirt sleeves
showed.
he was young man under thirty, and
be looked still younger. 1t was not so
much because he was short and slender
and fair-haired; the effect OF childishness
he gave came from some inward quality
which shaped the outward to itself. People
used TO say: "Silas Ninton Is a dreadful
womanish sort Of fellar." But il was not
womanishness nor boyishness, but that
childhood which has no sex which ap-
peared in his round, delicate face. Whom
be was baby he must have had that same
look Of wonder and inquiry and innocent
speculation that he had now. He was at
work near where the garden left off and
the orchard begun. The Towering apple
trees we're full Of bees, and there was
cherrytree near him which swarmed with
them: One could hear their murmuring,
and through that, between the ranks of
rosy trees, the spring rush Of the river. The
air was very sweet. Silas was setting out
some potted plants which he had brought
from the house. His windows were rugged
With shelves for them from sill to ceiling.
His house in winter was like hot house.
All the time Silas kept talking to him
self, or rather murmuring II was the way
the bees did, and he might have been
making honey, after a spiritual fashion,
too. "Lilacs, and snovballs, and almond;
apple blows, and cherry blows, and daffo
dis" He talked to himself about the
plants he was setting out; where this one
deep holes TO dig for them But every now
and then he cast his eyes about, and re-
peated; "Lilacs, and snowballs, and
aud daffodils.r II was like refrain to his
practical musings. These new flowers were
In sight around him as no worked, and he
kept counting them over as he might have
counted jewels. Hs was SD busy talking
and working that he did not hear a girls
footstep on the garden path.
The first he heard was a timid, high
pitched voice, saying: "Silas."
He started, and looked around. why,
Altheo Rose, said he, 'you thar' How still
you came didn't hear you"
Mother wants TO know" the girl said,
bashfully, "if you've got any parsnips you
could let her have"
Certain have; a good parcel; aud your
mothers quite welcome to 'em. They're
right over here"
him. She had basket in her hand. She
was an odd-looking young girl Her face
was sweet and fair; her features were small
and delicate, and had that quality about
thom which one calls waxen in lilies; but
everything about her which did not depend
light hair was cut squarely across her neck,
and shelved out around her ears. She had
had a little stiff white sun-bonnot on her
head, but she had taken il off as she came
along, and held IL dangling by the strings.
Her dark calico dress was so prim in its cut
itelmost acquired an individuality fromit.
She was only sixteen, but the skirt touched
the ground and hid her little, coarsely shod
feet. The waist was long and straight, and
kept back all her pretty curves. She stood
watching Silas as he got the parsnips
When he had filed her ba sket, and rose and
turned to speak to her, the delicate color
flashed up deeper in her cheeks, and her
eyes changed like blue flowers when the
wind strikes them.
There" said he, I've filed the basket
full; and tell your mother she can have
some more any time she wants 'em.n
THANK you,n said Althea. She did not
,sner 10 pay him. Silas never would take
sUy pays he took pride in supplying the
n,Vghbors gratuitously with vegetables, and
se,vned hurt IL any remuneration was of
ferd.
A.tIiea reached out herhand for the basl-
ct bit Silas kept IL. I'm going up TO the
house" sid lie, land I'll carry IL as far's
tue ga te; it's kinder heavy"
Passing along by the cluI6ps aud little
beds OF carly flowers, a thought struck him.
''See hese, Althea." said he don't you
want binlch of ilowersr'
She gave him such a bashful smile that IL
ran into silly giggle. "I-don't know"
iii pick you n bunch in n minute. L
won't keep you waiting, for suppose your
mother wants TO cook them parsnps for
sAner. I'm going TO have some for nine
\ got 'en all dug In tue house"
Ihen 10 cut lsvishly sprays Of dioletra,